Have a Heart

Boost your performance by training in "The Zones"

Illustration by Jeremy Collins

It's easy to fall into a rut when trail running. You can end up regularly running the same trail or two at about the same pace, and then one day look back and realize that you haven't gotten any faster or, worse, have slowed down. Although the peace and landscape of our trails is enough to make it worthwhile, there is no better way to stay motivated and absolutely itch to get in the dirt than to work on increasing your speed and performance.

You've no doubt seen the case of heart-rate monitors at your local sporting-goods store, and maybe you've even bought one but don't really know what to do with it. Read on and we'll show you how it could change your trail running forever.

What is heart-rate training?

Expectedly, heart-rate training is tailoring your workouts and performance based upon your heart rate. Believe it or not, even if you don't own a heart-rate monitor, you're already sort of doing this. When you run at what you consider an easy pace, what does that really mean? Among other things, it means that you run at a heart rate that you consider maintainable for a relatively long duration. Conversely, when you really pour on the juice, you're performing a high-intensity speed workout, one that you can maintain for a shorter period.